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Introducing El Tajín
Situated on a plain surrounded by low verdant hills 6km west of Papantla, the extensive ruins of El Tajín are the most impressive reminder of Classic Veracruz civilization. The name Tajín is Totonac for ‘thunder, ’ ‘lightning’ or ‘hurricane.’
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The years AD 600 to 900 saw its zenith as a town and ceremonial center. Around AD 1200 the site was abandoned, possibly after attacks by Chichimecs, and lay unknown to the Spaniards until about 1785.
Among El Tajín’s special features are rows of square niches on the sides of buildings, numerous ball courts, and sculptures depicting human sacrifice connected with the ball game. Archaeologist José García Payón believed that El Tajín’s niches and stone mosaics symbolized day and night, light and dark, and life and death in a universe composed of dualities, though many are skeptical of this interpretation.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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